Bracket announcement goes online

The Division III football bracket announcement is leaving the
ESPN networks, where it has been televised for the past eight
seasons, and will be moved back several hours in the process.

The bracket will be announced via an NCAA.com video stream, with
the selection show scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov.
13.

The announcement is three hours later than last year's ESPNews
bracket announcement, but should be in a longer form than the
televised version, which ranged from as short as seven minutes to a
longer show shared with Division II on ESPNU.

None of the coaches D3football.com contacted were willing to
speak on the record about the time change. However, one coach of a
playoff contender spoke with the stipulation that he not be
named:

"It makes for a pretty hectic Sunday night, especially if you're
the team traveling. Your travel arrangements can take the better
part of a day. But the ability to exchange film online has changed
[the tape exchange] process, where once you might have had to send
someone in a car six hours.

"Assuming most conferences just exchange online, you could get
game film in by 9 p.m. Sunday and hopefully be ready by Monday
morning."

The coach went on to say: "I've never had to wait for the show
to know who we're playing. It seems to be a poorly kept
secret."

In addition, more details have become available about ESPN's
broadcast coverage of the Division III semifinals. The games will
be broadcast via ESPN syndication, with networks to be determined
when the matchups are known. The games will also be broadcast
online, on ESPN3.com. The Stagg Bowl will continue to be broadcast
on television as well, with coverage of the Friday, Dec. 16 championship game available
on ESPNU.